Non-System disk or disk error

[jlightfoot1]

I had the exact same error on a desktop with new drives in it. Mashed on the connectors and it fired right up. You could also try booting to a diagnostic floppy from the HDD manufacturer.

[bofhandpfy]

Here's a hint for those PC's with obscure key combinations for entering the BIOS.

1. Switch the pc off.
2. Then switch the machine back on.
3. Immediately hold down a few keys (almost any will do) keep holding them down.
As the machine goes through the POST it will think there's a problem with the KB and tell you such. most PC's then tell you to press a certain key to enter the BIOS setup screen.

I've used this trick a few times with rotten PC's that hide the POST info behind a splash screen.

I hope this helps you get in.

[Confucist]

I have a Thinkpad 6oo and had to find a setup disk set to get to all of the goodies for it. I still have it somewhere. It was a pain and I needed some assistance to find it. The setup disk jumps you straight into the Bios aspect. I hope this helps. If you think the 600 disk may help then just hit me up and I can send it to you. Good luck.

[dertimexican]

Being that you were able to try and format the disk, I wouldn't think that your BIOS would be the problem unless you have changed it since the format. Also, if you only formatted it, then that would be the reason it gives you "NON-SYSTEM Disk", it has no OS. Try formatting it again with " format c: /s" which copies the system files. What OS were you trying to format it with, and how did you try to format the drive?

[SwiftyMC]

Only thing I can say is...enter the bios and check the boot order...Set it as Floppy-> HDD-> CD-ROM
If all else fails....boot to a floppy disk, repartition and re format for the hell of it...theres no harm in doing it since you started with nothing anyways, and it couldnt hurt. something computers just need a little pursuation(if thats how u spell it)

[qwerty_smith]

dont know if this will help,. think i had to do this to one of the boxes... have you fdisked a partition and make it active. sometimtes if a partition isnt active, it will give you the non system error.

the other option i would suggest is check if your bios is set to pnp. i had a motherboad a while back that was pnp incompatible and i had to look up any periph i was installing and first input into bios before installing the actual hardware.

suggest: set system to minimum video configuration and try from there:
(power to motherboard, ram properly seated, video card, NO floppy, NO HD, NO CD. and if it works with that, start adding one by one u ntil you have the problem cornered.

good luck

[Confucist]

I did some double checking just to be sure and prior to formatting you should have made a system set using the Disk Tool program that was in the configuration utility. IBM has this "uttpfw98.exe" and the user manual "380dug.pdf" on their site under the 380 heading. Without that utility you will probably be locked out, that was the same issue I had with mine. I just had to confirm. F1 is the boot access key. Good luck and any questions you have should be answered in the users manual.